GAME RECAP: D-Backs Demolish Phils 13-3
Welington Castillo homered,
tripled and drove in a career-high four runs to lead the D-backs' offensive
attack in a 13-3 win over the Phillies in Monday night's series opener at Chase
Field. Nine different players collected a hit for the D-backs, who hit nine
extra-base hits, including three triples, and won for the 11th time in 16 games
to move to one game under .500. Starter Rubby De La Rosa won for the fourth time in five
outings, giving up three runs in six innings. "We just came with
everything like we do, got the big hit, got a lot of hits," D-backs left
fielder David Peralta said.
"We're just going to keep doing the same thing, having fun and playing
ball the right way, and good things will happen." Maikel Franco went 2-for-4 with a home run for the
Phillies, who had their three-game win streak snapped. Starter Aaron Harang took the loss, suffering his 10th defeat
in his past 11 outings. "Well, that was the first bad game we've had in a
long time, so it's bound to happen sooner or later," said Phillies interim
manager Pete Mackanin, whose team is 16-6 since the All-Star break. "It
happens to every team, so tonight it was us."
OTHER
NOTES FROM THE DAY:
- Harang's chances of being traded to a contender before the
Aug. 31 waiver Trade Deadline are likely minimal at this point. He allowed
12 hits and eight runs in 5 1/3 innings against the D-backs. He has
allowed 12 runs in 10 2/3 innings in his past two starts, and he has an
8.10 ERA in his past nine starts dating to June 4. He has allowed four or
more runs in eight of those starts. "They were too comfortable up
there," Harang said. "I've got to establish in and I didn't do
that early enough. When they start getting comfortable at the plate it
makes for a long day."
- Franco is making his case for National League Rookie of the
Year. He crushed a home run to center in the sixth that traveled an
estimated 455 feet. "I just used my hands and stayed through to the
middle, try to use the whole field, and I put a good swing on that,"
Franco said.
- Phillies left-hander Adam Loewen
replaced Harang in the sixth. It was his first appearance as a pitcher in
the big leagues since July 6, 2008, a span of 2,589 days. He allowed one
hit and two runs in one-third of an inning.
- Phils second baseman Chase Utley has been placed on revocable
waivers, according to FOXSports.com. He has to be claimed by 1 p.m. ET on
Tuesday. If he is claimed, Utley has the right to refuse a trade because
he has 10-and-5 no-trade rights, meaning he's a 10-year veteran with at
least the past five years on the same team.
- Philadelphia center fielder Odubel Herrera has a 13-game hitting streak, the longest by a Phillies rookie since Marlon Byrd's 15 in 2003.
NEXT
GAME:
The Phillies have been
the hottest team in baseball since the All-Star break. They hope to get back to
their winning ways Tuesday night against the D-backs at Chase Field. Phillies
right-hander David Buchanan hopes to get back on the right track. He allowed seven
runs in 4 1/3 innings last week against the Dodgers. He posted a 3.38 ERA in
three starts in July, when he picked up wins against the Braves and Rays.
Buchanan has never faced the D-backs. D-backs right-hander Jeremy Hellickson
has never faced the Phillies, but more important than that he is hoping to turn
around his luck. He is 0-2 with an 11.25 ERA in his past two starts after
posting a 1.88 ERA in four starts in July.
PHILS PHACTS:
Utley Placed On Waivers – Phillies second
baseman Chase Utley has been placed on revocable waivers, according to
FOXSports.com. The news is not surprising, but it is noteworthy. It is not
surprising because teams place most of their players on waivers in August. If
they clear waivers teams can trade them before the Aug. 31 waiver Trade
Deadline. Teams like to have the flexibility. But it is noteworthy because the
Phillies would trade Utley for the right deal. The report had Utley placed on
waivers Sunday, which means he has until 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday to be claimed. If
he is not claimed, the Phillies can try to trade him anywhere before the end of
the month. If he is claimed, the Phillies have until 1:30 p.m. ET on Thursday
to assign him to the claiming team or pull him back. If they pull him back at
that point, he cannot be traded anywhere. Of course, Utley has 10-and-5
no-trade rights, meaning he's a 10-year veteran with at least the past five
years on the same team, so he does not have to go anywhere if he does not want
to. But there are indications Utley is more open to a trade than he has been in
the past. "I would be more than happy to listen to them," Utley said
Saturday. "I do love Philadelphia. I've had a great time playing here, but
out of respect for them, I would definitely listen to them." Asked Sunday
if he expected to be with the Phillies at the end of the season, Utley said,
"Who knows?" The Angels and Cubs have expressed interest in Utley.
The Giants had a scout watching Utley this weekend in San Diego, according to
CSNPhilly.com. Besides Utley's 10-and-5 rights, a deal could be complicated. He
is making $15 million this season, which means he still is owed about $4.5 million.
He also has a $15 million club option for next season, which includes a $2
million buyout. The option automatically vests with 500 plate appearances this
season, but Utley has only 259, so that is no longer an issue. But the Phillies
would seem likely to eat some of that money to facilitate a deal. In the
meantime, Utley continues to play. He hit leadoff and played first base Monday
night against the D-backs.
Another Trade With The Rangers – The Phillies added some infield depth on Monday, when they
acquired shortstop Tyler Pastornicky from the Rangers for cash considerations.
Pastornicky, 25, was batting .283 with one home run and 19 RBIs in 53 games for
Triple-A Round Rock this season. Pastornicky has played in 124 games in the big
leagues, all with the Braves, for whom he posted a .243 batting average with a
.295 on-base percentage and a .314 slugging mark. He was released by Atlanta in
March and signed by Texas as a Minor League free agent. Pastornicky's season
started at Double-A Frisco, where he hit .276 with 29 hits in his first 28
games prior to his promotion to Round Rock. He also played for Team USA in the
Pan Am Games in July, leading the team with a .450 batting average and 9 RBIs
in 11 games. Pastornicky was selected by the Blue Jays in the fifth round of
the 2008 MLB Draft, and he was traded to the Braves in 2010 as part of the
return for shortstop Yunel Escobar.
Rookie Of The Year? – Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco continues to make a strong case for National
League Rookie of the Year. Home runs like the one he crushed in Monday night's 13-3 loss
to Arizona at Chase Field should get a few more people to notice him. He ripped
an 0-1 slider from D-backs right-hander Rubby De La Rosa in the sixth inning a projected 455
feet to center field, according to Statcast™.
It left his bat at a scorching 107 mph. "It had a good sound to it,"
Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "I mean, yeah," Franco
said, asked if it was one of the hardest hit balls of his career. "I just
used my hands and stayed through the middle, try to use the whole field, and I
put a good swing on that." Franco is not getting the attention of NL
rookies like Matt Duffy, Joc Pederson and Kris Bryant, but he is worthy of comparisons. Franco
does not officially rank among NL rookies in batting average, on-base
percentage, slugging percentage or OPS, but that is only because he did not
join the Phillies until May 15. He is 25 plate appearances short of the 350
plate appearances he needs to qualify among them. But Franco would have the
highest OPS (.828) and slugging percentage (.490) among NL rookies, if he
qualified. He also entered Monday second in doubles (21), fourth in home runs
(12), third in RBIs (47) and tied for fourth in walks (25) and extra-base hits
(34). "It's not on my mind right now," Franco said of a potential
Rookie of the Year candidacy. "I just try to come in and do my job and try
to do the best I can to have a good game and help my teammates." But that
doesn't mean he isn't following other NL rookies, either. "I mean, yeah,
because most of the time I watch TV, I see what they're doing," he said.
"But for me, just be happy for everybody, try to have a good game, a good
season. Whatever happens, I'll take it." ESPN said Franco's home run was
the longest by a Phillies player since 2012, when Jim Thome hit one over the
batter's eye at Target Field in Minneapolis. "I remember that home
run," Mackanin said. "That was a bomb." Franco's was nearly as
impressive. And it could get a few more people talking about him, too.
THE BEGINNING:
The
Phillies season has taken an unexpected turn for the better as they have
officially climbed out of the bottom of the NL East with a record of 45-68.
Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances this
season, this could still end up being the worst team in franchise history!
All time, the Phillies are 52-50-0 on this day.
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